MDC-Alliance avoiding the real demo
NEWS may have reached your ears by now that the opposition MDC-Alliance, a mélange of fringe political parties and individuals, intends to march to the offices of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) today to hand in a petition over alleged mutating ballots.
Yes, the MDCA, a party aspiring to lead this nation, believes an X next to party leader Nelson Chamisa’s name can migrate to plant itself next to Zanu-PF Presidential candidate Cde Emmerson Mnangagwa’s name!
As incredible as this sounds, this belief in voodoo politics is the reason the MDCA will march today, ostensibly to compel ZEC to give the party access to the ballot paper.
While ZEC has indeed been very accommodating, at times needlessly so, it appears lost on the “sages” at Harvest House that ZEC is an independent constitutional body mandated to be the sole guardian of the ballot till voting day.
The opposition is blissfully unaware that they are stretching their luck in wanting ZEC to indulge their every whim while at the same time hurling all sorts of insults at an organisation whose only “crime” has been to seek inclusivity in the march to July 30.
The burden of proof, pro-bandi, is on the MDCA to demonstrate to the nation how an X on paper can not only move, but “intelligently” pick out Cde Mnangagwa from a field of 23 candidates.
This is the real demonstration that the nation expects from the MDCA, not disturbing the peace and quiet of people going about their business in Harare.
Bar the high-sounding phrase, “paper chromatography” that the opposition is throwing around to impress the lumpen elements in their rank and file, the claim of mutating ballots itself shows a people steeped in shocking ignorance.
Paper chromatography is an analytical method used to separate coloured chemicals or substances, nothing more, nothing less.
What this means is if the X is subjected to chromatography, it is just the ink that will separate into its constituent colours. In that case the X will be destroyed, and will not migrate to plant itself next to a predetermined candidate. More so for the pigments to disperse across the paper, the ballot box has to be full of the requisite solvent.
There is nothing as inane as equating chromatography to the frivolous claims of “super intelligent” pen marks that can migrate and identify candidates in a ballot box!
Alice in Wonderland would be green with envy if this were possible.
This is why we say instead of the MDCA dis- turbing people in the CBD with a needless march, the party leaders should instead convene a press conference today where they can demonstrate the so-called mutating ballots for the world to see.
Government has gone out of its way to provide a very conducive environment for the coming elections which is why it has invited observers from 46 countries and 15 international and regional organisations.
ZEC has also gone out of its way to engage political parties in the run-up to the elections.
Instead of complementing these efforts, the MDCA has been running in the opposite direction, crying wolf at every turn and trying to put the credibility of ZEC into question in a bid to build self-fulfilling prophecies to explain results that many observers are agreed are not going to be in the MDC-Alliance’s favour.
While MDCA is content on preparing for the day after the election, they should leave those parties and candidates keen on Election Day to campaign in peace.
We hope the observers are watching and noting. It’s clear someone at Harvest House has been watching too many cartoons!